Dad
by liliaeth
Summary: A boy's first view of a Quickening


Title: Dad (1/1)  
Author: Lore Krajsman  
Rating: PG 13  
Notes:A childs memories about seeing his immortal father accept a challenge

Characters: The Kurgan  
Steven Kruger (OC)  
Maria Kruger (OC)

Disclaimer: I don't own Highlander. I really don't. Please don't sue me for using the character and the background.

Wind whistled through the empty fields surrounding the farmstead as the sun warmed up the meadow. A twelve year old boy sat back on the fence surrounding the meadow, staring at the mares playfully grazing and caring for their colts. His eyes lingered on a black yearling, a gift from his dad. He'd helped when the birth had almost gone wrong. His father had just turned his dark eyes to him and smiled for a second.

"Steven," he'd said. "When you save a life, you're responsible for that life forever. Be good to the horse and it'll be good for you." He'd been too stunned to say a word but his father had just left him alone as he kept rubbing the horse dry, aiding the mother in getting to know its son.

Starfire was dancing around his mother, playfully hunting a fly that kept landing on its back. Steven didn't have to look back to the house to know his mother was busy with the laundry. He tried to look busy so she wouldn't call him out to come help her. 

She knew this of course, but usually it didn't do more than call a smile to her dark brown eyes.

Her dark tanned skin seemed hardened by the sun and the weather. Her hands were weathered but he loved them unlike anything else in the world. Her long black hairs hung loosely around her shoulders. Dad had told her he liked it loose. She'd muttered some complaints that he didn't tell her how to dress. Then she just stopped pulling it together and let dad play his large fingers loosely through the locks. 

Maria Kruger wasn't gorgeous by any means, at first sight you'd probably think her to be somewhat plain. Her nose a slight bit too big, her eyes just the slightest bit out of synch and a length just slightly higher than that of her sons. Even at twelve Steven could almost see eye to eye with his mom.

He never wondered why he held so little of his mothers Navaho blood.

Dad had explained how him and mom had chosen him for a son. After that, it all made perfect sense.

As Steven was staring at the road, looking away from his mom he could see the dust fly up around a car storming up to the farmstead. A few chickens flew up startled as the car just barely avoided running them over. Steven slid of the fence and stared at the car and the man coming out of it. A stranger, he knew that much.

The horses raced for the other side of the field. Steven wondered what the man wanted, especially since his father wasn't at home. What was some stranger coming to talk to mom about anyway? He didn't like the look of it, mom didn't seem happy to see him. The boy was about ready to head up to protect his mom when the stranger pushed her down against the ground. His mom pulled her gun from behind her back, aiming it at the stranger. The man just brushed it of. The sound of the gunshot broke up the silence of the fields.

"Run Steven run!" his mother yelled.

The boy hesitated for a moment glanced back one last time and ran. He had to get away, warn his dad. The last thing he heard was a groan from his mother and a loud thump.

Steven didn't wait to see this what had happened. He raced of through the acres, trying with all his might to get away from the stranger and to his dad.

Mrs Li from the Laundromat up the street started cursing at him as he ran through the clean sheets. He didn't care. A few of the strays started following him for the fun of it, making lots of noise as they did so. 

"Dad, dad!"

Steven stopped panting, terrified to stare at his father. Dreading to face him for abandoning mom like that. The Kurgan sat in front of the barbershop, smoking tobacco with a few of the locals. The giant immortal sat relaxed a grin on his face as he heard one of the men brag about his participation in the Great War. The Kurgan just seemed to be ignoring him.. As he saw his son racing up at him he immediately noticed the boys disheveled appearance. The kid was panting, completely out of breath.

"It's mom.." he got out in between gulps of air. "A stranger came and ... he wasn't even worried about moms gun dad. He came after me and I..." the Kurgan placed his hand on his sons shoulder and turned the boys face to his own.

"Don't worry Stevie, you did the right thing."

"Do you need any help Gerald?"   
The men seemed about ready to get up but the Kurgan didn't let them.

"Not yet. I'll handle it myself."

They just nodded at his statement as he'd known they would and didn't even try to get up.   
Nobody messed with Gerald Kruger.   
Nobody.   
They might not have known who the dark man was, but they knew he could be dangerous. Good to have as a friend, an ally, but also someone you were very careful not to piss off.

The Kurgan towered over his son as he pulled on his coat and went up to his truck.

"Hop in Stevie."

Steven quickly followed his orders without saying a word. The Kurgan looked grimly ahead of himself as they rode up to the farm, more dangerous than ever. As they rode he didn't say a word. Both his hands held the steering wheel in a deathgrip.

It was only as they arrived that he said something.

"Stay here."

Steven stared after the immortal as the Kurgan grabbed his sword and headed into the farmstead. He could see his father was sensing the other immortal. The boy tried to follow his father's orders, but as minutes passed by, he grew more and more anxious. Wondering about all that could be happening. Seeing all the possible outcomes happen before his eyes.

Finally he could no longer handle it. He climbed out of the truck and followed his father in. He was careful not to be heard or seen, but doubted that that would help much. His father always seemed to know when he was near. The giant Kurgan wouldn't approve of his disobedience. The boy shivered a bit. His father didn't punish him all that often but when he did ...

When the boy got to the yard he saw the two men opposing one another. His mother leaned up against the doorpost, holding on to her stomach. Both men held their swords, both still testing their opponent, his father was using his giant broadsword and his opponent held a bastardsword. The names came up in Steven's mind as he looked at them. He remembered all the times his father had led him over the names of different weapons. Using both books and actual examples.

"You killed my lover Kurgan." the stranger shouted.

Stevens father just stood there. He puffed out some air and answered   
"So what? I killed a lot of people."

"Your killing ends now. It's your turn to die."

The stranger attacked immediately after the words came out of his mouth. Trying for the surprise attack. The Kurgan wasn't fooled by it. His arms were more than ready to block any thrust aimed at him. The stranger increased his speed, but so did the Kurgan. Then it was over. With one mighty trust the Kurgan pulled his sword down and broke the other immortals blade.

Another more honorable immortal might have give the other immortal a choice after that, a chance, but not the Kurgan. His next stroke came down on the strangers neck and cut the mans head of. Steven stared openmouthed as he saw the mad smirk on his fathers face while doing this. For the next few moments he stood fixed in his place as the lightning storm erupted and hit into his dad.  
Steven was terrified, fearing for his dads life, but that look in his fathers eyes. That pleasure. His dad was enjoying it, he let himself be ravaged by it and found pleasure in the strokes. The harder he was hit, the better it almost seemed. His face grew more and more into a leer as the display went on. The young boy was disgusted but yet he couldn't turn his eyes away. It was only after it ended that he could look at the stranger's corpse. He wanted to throw up, but nothing came out.

  
The boy's complexion went all white.

"Dad?"

The Kurgan saw his son standing there, looking at him.

"Didn't I tell you to stay back."

Steven shivered under the menacing tone.

"Steven?" The Kurgan's tone grew friendlier, more concerned.

"He's dead?" 

The boy couldn't keep his eyes away from the corpse, from staring at the blood. 

"Yes he is."

"You killed him?" The question answered itself. He'd just seen his father kill the guy but still he couldn't help asking. The Kurgan just nodded.

The boy suddenly felt the need to make up excuses for his dad.

"He hurt mom. He deserved it."

"That isn't why I killed him." was all the Kurgan said before heading towards his wife. The boy didn't understand. His father had just killed a man, yet he didn't seem bothered by it.

"The Game isn't nice Steven. But it is what we, what I live for. We are immortal. Because of that we live by the sword. And in the end we will die by it. To show our might in rightful combat to the death, that is what we live for Steven. You should never ignore that. No matter how unpleasant it may seem now.

The Kurgan dragged his sword to his mouth and used his tongue to lick of the last remains of blood from the blade. He held strongly to the sword as he pulled up his wife in an embrace and kissed her passionately. Not really concerned about the wound at her side. His leer was different this time, pointed at a different objective. The woman responded in kind and followed him in. 

Both leaving their son behind with the corpse still at his feet.

The end? 


End file.
